Part 4: You’re going to live forever, somewhere!
There’s a wonderful eternity for the believer!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
The day Mt. St. Helens exploded
Over the last few days, we’ve been discussing the unpleasant subject of hell, a real place that Jesus repeatedly warned about. As I was thinking about His warnings of impending disaster for those who are unsaved, I remembered the day Mt. St. Helens erupted on May 18, 1980, at 8:32 a.m. It was so loud that Susan and I heard it explode from our home in upper Washington State. According to experts, it had a volcanic-explosivity-index of five, which has often been declared the most disastrous volcanic eruption in U.S. history. Hundreds of square miles were reduced to wasteland, and 57 people were killed, including innkeeper and World War I veteran Harry R. Truman, who had refused to leave although he had been warned repeatedly of the impending disaster. It was preceded by a two-month period of earthquakes and steam-venting episodes that resulted from the injection of magma at a shallow depth below the volcano and caused a sizable bulge and fracture system on the mountain's north slope. With all this volcanic activity happening several weeks before the eruption, there had been ample time to totally clear the area of people, yet many died because they failed to take the warning signs seriously.
The same can be said about Jesus’ warnings regarding hell!
Even though Jesus warned repeatedly about the dangers of a real place called hell, most people, even many churches and/or religious people choose to ignore or dismiss His many warnings today. And sadly, it’s not going to end well for them!
Finally, the good news!
The wonderful news is that no one has to go to hell! No one! This is why the gospel is called the good news! There is a way to be saved for eternity.
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Rom. 10:9-10)
“And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)
What eternity look like for those who have been redeemed
· You will see Jesus face-to-face
“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” (Rev. 22:3-5)
· You will get a brand new body
“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil. 3:20-21)
· He has prepared a place in heaven for you!
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)
· No more death, crying or pain
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev. 21:4)
Therefore
“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 3:20)
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (John 17:3 NIV)